Artificial limb



R. TRAUTIVIAN.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

APPLICATION HLED APR.25. 1921.

1 ,41 1 49, Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

v ZNVE/vTo/: RAY TRAUTMAN.

BYMMWMMM A T T0 RNEYS.

UNITED STATES,

PATs'r ries.

RAY TRAUTMAN, or MINNEAroLIs, MiNNEsorA.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB. Y

Specification oflietters Patent. Pajiqeitefdi 171, 1922.

, Application filed April 25,1921. Serial No. 464,397.

invention is to provide artificial members which will functioninamannersimilar to the corresponding human members. An'- other objectis to providefor an ankle action -by means embodied ina simple, strong,du-v rable and eficient construction which is not lliable to get outoforder.

The full objects and advantages ofiny in- .l

' vention, will be obvious fromthe foregoing desription, and the novelfeatures embodied in myV inventive idea will be particularly pointedout. v Y

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an applica-tion of myinvention, Fig. 1 is aside view partly in section showing my improvedfeatures in connection with an artificial limb. Fig. 2 is a partsectional view showing the ankle joint operated into a, differentposition from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in section on theline 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4V is a view in section onthe line 4-4 of Fig.2. Fig. 5 is a view in secn tion on the line 5 5 of F ig.V 1.

VThe drawings illustrate an artificial limb comprising a. thigh memberA10, a shank, vmember 12, and a. foo-t member 14. The

shank member consists of a hollow shell Y preferably of fiber and thefoot member 14 which is preferably solid, is connected thereto so as tohave a rocking movement the following manner. A metal strip'l is securedinsideof the shank member at its lower portion at each side thereof byrivets and a cylindrical member 18 is secured to the lower ends of thetwo strips; A ll-bolt has a flat intermediate portion 20 which restsvupon the cylindrical member 18 as a bearingand the two arms 22 of thisbolt extend through the foot member into a recess 23 in the lowerportion thereof where the ends of the arms:-

of the U-bolt are` provided with nuts 24. Above the ankle joint thusformed are a pair of parallel rods 26 slightly spaced from each otherand secured to the front and back of,

the shank member. A heel bolt 27 has aiiattened upper portion which`extends'between the rods 26, and this bolt is provided with aV head 28which rests slidably upon the upperl Vsurfaces of t-he rods. Mountedupon the bolt s o as to slidably engage the lower surfaces Y of the rodsis a .block 30 which is preferably of fiber, and mounted on the bolt soas to be yinterposed between this bolt and the upper surface-of Ythe'foot member is a resilient Vbumper 32 preferably of rubber. The heel`bolt extends. down into. .the recess 23 where'- i it is provided withan adjustable thumb-nut 34. In the embodiment illustrated whichis foruse in cases ofja'mputation above the knee, the thigh member '10 isattached to the A l I shank member by' a knee-bolt 36 `lwhich.passesthrough a knee-block 38, t-he knee-bolt being secured at eachVside to the'top of the shank member.` `Theknee-block is provided withan arcuate slot 40 concentric'wi-th thei knee-bolt and formedso asjtoextend for 'approximately the lower rear quadrant of the '-knee block.Astop' bolt `V42 extends throughthe slot 40 and is secured to the shankmember preferably passing through knee-joint straps 44 which are.provided for l attachment of knee bolt 36.

The operation'fand advantages of my contherresult that there are fewerparts to get out of order' and a stronger construction is produced. Whenthe wearer stepson the heel, the upper portion' of the sliding heelboltis forced toward-the front of the shank memberinto the position shown inF ig. 2, this slidingv movementI being controlled by the parallel rods26' and att-he Sametime the l resllient bumper is compressed. When .theweight is removed from the-heel, the bumper expands and forces the heeldownward and the toe upward to their natural positions, as

shown in Fig. 1. When the wearer steps on A the toe portion, movementoft-he foot member is restrained bythe rigid heel bolt inV place of beingrestrained by means of the Y customary heelcord previously used.- Thereis no liability of the heel-bolt becoming'bent l or twisted duringVwalking because it slides back and forth, thus doing away with twistingor pulling action on this bolt at an angle. r

Adjustment of the ankle motion can be rea-dily made by loosening ortightening the thumb nut 34, and by lengthening the heel bolt more anklemotion is permitted, and by shortening the heel bolt there is less anklemotion. 0n account of the stop bolt 44C fitting slidably in the slotLl() an effective knee motion is provided which permits the shank memberto bend backwardly with relation to the thigh member. lhen the sha-nkmember is straightened out the bolt l2 slides in t-he slot toward thefront of the knee member', and when this bolt reaches-the front end ofthe slot forward movement of the shank member is positively stopped sothat proper alinement is obtained. This construction is practicallynoiseless and is of little weight ywith no parts liable to stretch or`order.

I claim:

1. An artificial limb comprising a shank member and a foot memberpivoted together get out of Yto form an ankle joint, a heel-boltextending through said foot member, means in the lower portion of saidshank member for supporting the upper end of said heel-bolt for slidingmovement between the front and rear of said shank member, and resilientmeans tending` to move said bolt into its rearward position.

2. An artificial limb comprising a shank member and a foot memberpivoted together to form an ankle joint, a heel-bolt extending throughsaid foot member and into a` recess in the underside thereof, adjustablemeans for holding the lower end of said bolt in said recess, a pair ofrods connecting the front and rear of said shank member at its lowerportion, the upper end of said bolt passing between said rods, a head onthe upper end of said bolt slidable' upon the upper surfaces of saidrods, and a resilient bumper interposed between said rods and the upperrearward surface of said foot member. f

3. n artificial limb comprising a shank member and a. foot memberpivoted together to form an ankle joint, a heel ,bolt extending throughsaid foot member and intoY a recess in the under side thereof, a thumbnut adjustably mountedy on the lower end of said boltand lying in saidrecess, 'a pair of rods connecting the front and rear of said shankmember at its lower portion, the upper portion of said bolt passingbetween said rods,

a head on the `upper end of said bolt slidable` Yon the upper surfacesof saidrOdS, anl enlargement on said bolt slidable on the lower surfacesof said rods, and a resilient bumper surrounding said boltbetweensaidenlargementand the rupper rearward surface of saidfoot member.

In testimony whereof l lhereunto affix Vmy signature.Y Y v RAY TRAUTMAN.

